Four-day special train launched from Rajkot to Somnath, station echoes with chants of Har Har Mahadev
Rajkot (The Uttam Hindu): A four-day special train service from Rajkot to Somnath was launched on Thursday to facilitate devotees attending the grand Somnath Swabhiman Parv. The spiritual festival is being organised to mark 75 years of the renovation of the Somnath Mahadev Temple and 1,000 years since the historic attacks on the shrine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the Somnath temple on January 11 to offer prayers.
As the special train departed, the station atmosphere turned festive, with devotees dancing and raising slogans of “Har Har Mahadev,” echoing across the entire station परिसर. BJP leader Madhav Davey told IANS that a magnificent Somnath Swabhiman Parv is being organised at Somnath. He said Somnath Mahadev, the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas, is revered by all devotees. He added that 75 years have passed since the temple’s renovation and reconstruction, and 1,000 years since the historic attack on the temple, which he described as an attack on Hindu faith.
One passenger travelling on the special train said they were going from Rajkot to Somnath to seek Mahadev’s blessings. Calling it a deeply personal experience, the devotee expressed excitement about getting the opportunity to have direct darshan at the temple. The passenger said the visit had been planned for a long time but could not happen earlier.
Located on the Saurashtra coast, the Somnath Mahadev Temple, the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas, is considered an eternal symbol of Indian civilisation and faith. In 2026, 1,000 years will be completed since the first major attack on the temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in January 1026. At the same time, 75 years will be completed since the reconstruction of the temple in independent India on May 11, 1951.
To mark these two historic milestones, a year-long Somnath Swabhiman Parv is being organised at Prabhas Patan, with the main events scheduled from January 8 to 11. The festival aims to remember the attacks on Hindu faith and highlight the repeated revival and resilience of the Somnath temple.
Special arrangements have been made for devotees, including the four-day special train service. The celebrations will feature 72 hours of continuous Omkar Naad, conch blowing, devotional music, folk dances, and a grand drone show involving 3,000 drones.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Somnath on January 11 to offer prayers and participate in the events. In a blog post, he wrote that the story of Somnath is not of destruction but of self-respect and resurgence, and that the festival will stand as a symbol of India’s unwavering cultural heritage.